BWW Reviews: MSMT's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN Brings Down the House

Maine State Music Theatre marshaled all its resources for the finale of its 2015 season with a stunning production of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, filled with rollicking humor, brilliant dancing, and dazzling design effects that had the opening night audience on their feet cheering not only at curtain calls, but also during the course of the show. Directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, the cast of starry principals and equally gifted ensemble gave Brooks' signature off-beat humor a vibrancy and wit that had the intimate Pickard Theatre pulsating with joyous energy.

Robin and his cast find the perfect balance in comedic timing, clever repartee, physical gags, and glittering, show stopping musical numbers. His choreography is intricate, impressive, and awe-inspiring - (the tap in "Puttin' on the Ritz" is quite simply breathtaking)! Moreover, he tells the story with a cinematic fluidity and a deft sense of humor that succeeds in maintaining a fine balance between amusing and grotesque. Music Director Samuel Thorne Bagala gives the score a lushness and bravura that conjure up the traditions of horror films and conducts with a propulsive passion, and the nine-person instrumental ensemble plays for him with great beauty and style.

Making his company debut as scenic designer, Kyle Melton outdoes himself, creating a visual environment that is both spooky and droll in its clever allusions to the horror film genre. Not only do the numerous beautifully executed painted drops provide an ever-changing context for the show's antics, but Melton adds a host of trick properties (a flying laboratory table that doubles as a bed, to name but one) and other visual touches that add to the overall amazement factor. His work is seamlessly complemented by Dan Efros' striking, moody visual projections, Jeffrey S. Koger's impressive lighting design and special effects, and Kurt Alger's wonderfully witty and colorful 1930s costumes and wigs. Brett Rothstein adds a soundscape in the best Gothic tradition.

The cast is absolutely first-rate, and each actor plays his role not only for its lunacy but also for its inherent reality. Jeremiah James brings a commanding vocal and dramatic presence to the protagonist, Frederick Frankenstein, and he shines in his numerous musical numbers. Robert Creighton has many of show-stopping turn as his hunchback assistant, Igor, and he plays each and every one with a nimble comedic flair and an agile physicality that fills the theatre with infectious laughter. Timothy Hughes is a strapping, loveable monster, who makes the transition from inarticulate creature to dashing lover with a heartwarming deftness, and he proves himself a remarkable tap dancer in the big number, "Puttin' on the Ritz." David Girolmo limns two distinct and hilarious characters in Inspector Kemp anc the Hermit - the first a sendup of the stereotypical German authority figure; the second a wistful, whimsical blind recluse - and he sings both with style and appropriate contrast. Paul Aguirre as Victor makes the most of "Join the Family Business," and Steve Gagliastro is endearingly daft in the duel roles of Ziggy and Shoeshine.

Jessica Lee Goldyn creates a brassy, femme fatale Elizabeth, and in Robin's amplified choreography displays her extraordinary skills as a dancer and singer. Missy Dowse makes an alluring Inga, and to her credit, she never overplays the part of the ditsy blonde assistant, but retains a fragile, yet seductive charm. Charis Leos is a zany, colorful Frau Blucher, and, in her inimitable comic style she romps through "He Vas My Boyfriend."

The large ensemble (Chrissy Albanese, Michaela K. Boissoneault, Sara Bond, Alec Cohen, James Spencer Dean, Kenneth Quinney Francoueur, Michael Graceffa, Benjamin Henley, Jordan Lipes, Connor McRory, Leah Nicoll, Reagan Danel Ogle, Buddy Reeder, De Angelo Renard, Stefanie Sable, Liz Schmitz, and Lauren Brooke Tatum) all deserve special mention not only for their detailed characterizations in rapidly shifting roles, but also for the uniform excellence of their dancing and singing.

Young Frankenstein brings to a close another superlative season for MSMT. While the company can boast a long tradition of fine work, to this reviewer, the past three years's productions, under the artistic/administrative leadership of Curt Dale Clark and Stephanie Dupal, have been extraordinary in a new and thrilling way: in the breadth of talent, in the consistency of excellence, in the depth of imagination, and in the energy, joy, and heart that make each and every performance a celebration.

Photos Courtesy of MSMT, Roger S. Duncan, photographer

Young Frankenstein runs from August 5-22, 2015 at the Pickard Theatre, Brunswick, ME 207-725-8769 www.msmt.org